Legends
by Sei.T
Summary: Three years have passed since Sakura sealed her last Clow Card. However, a chain of events will lead to a deeper mystery. Was Clow Reed really the most powerful magician as it was said? Or was there a deeper, more sinister force behind him?
1. Prologue

Disclaimer - I do not own CCS or any of its characters. This plot and storyline is mine however, along with any original characters and/or places. =)

A/N - First time attempting a fanfic soo yeah. This was written mostly as a product of my boredom and my tiny (okay HUGE) ^^'' fascination for CCS. Due to my annoyingly busy schedule, I don't think I can write too much too fast and my imagination itself has its moods heh. ^^'' either way, hope you like reading. Of course, I'll appreciate any ideas and stuff (mostly because I haven't planned out most of the story) and critisism (not looking forward to it but it helps improve ne?) soo... ENJOY!! XD

Chapter 1 - Prologue

Syaoran gazed up as the autumn leaves fell around him. The gentle autumn breeze blow slowly, ruffling through his hair. The path was totally deserted, only the sound of his footsteps and the rustling of the leaves beneath his feet could be heard. His thoughts wandered as he made his way up the little used path. Glancing idly at the brown-gold leaves, an image of a girl with exactly the same hair color flashed in his mind, causing him to stumble slightly.

_Sakura....how long has it been? Three years wasn't it? Or was it longer? Sure felt like a long time since I've heard from you..._ He'd left Tomoeda and Japan for good during spring, three years ago. After that, he neither saw nor heard from her and although he would not admit to anyone, he sort of missed the clumsy girl who used to be his rival in capturing the Clow Cards. Well those days were long gone now and truth to be told, he had no further business in Japan. He was back, where he belonged with the Li Clan. Though nowadays he found himself daydreaming more frequently about a certain girl with golden-brown hair, bright emerald eyes and a wide smile that would charm a snake. After leaving so suddenly back then, he wondered how Sakura took it. _Wonder if she still remembers me. Of course not after all the crap I put her through. _He smiled wryly, remembering the hundreds of times he yelled at her, called her names and belittled her. He'd then fallen for the same girl he spent hours tormenting. Shaking his head slowly, he wondered what cruel twist of fate conspired to make him fall in love with his rival. Of course, that was a long time ago and after a while, she soon faded into a memory, to be dug up when he thought no one was looking.

"Li Xiao Lang!" his footsteps came to a complete halt. _Uh oh...mom sounds mad... Wonder what... Oh wait..._ He mentally berated himself. He had forgotten to buy the groceries again and in his dreamy state he hadn't realized that he was so close to home.

"Xiao Lang how many times do I have to remind you to get the groceries??! This has to be the third time I'm yelling at you for this! Now hurry and go get them or you're grounded... Forever!" Syaoran cringed at the sight of his mother, Li Ielan's face that was rapidly turning a shade of red similar to tomatoes, or blood if she turned any darker. Backing up slowly, he stammered a quick apology before breaking into a full run. His mother gentle as she was could get quite scary at times and when she was in this mood, he preferred to be far away, preferably on another planet. Since that was impossible, he settled for just as far as he could get. Times like this, he was grateful for his training as a Li Clan warrior. He ran as fast as he could, barely stopping for a breather. Evening was coming and the sky began to tint red. Pausing to stare at the fiery glow of the setting sun, he then rushed off again to complete his way overdue chore.

_Same time, in Tomoeda, Japan_

"Practice over. Good job everyone." the PE teacher clapped her hands as a group of cheerleaders smiled at each other, relieved. "Sakura, clean up the equipment and lock up the shed. The rest of you, head home."

"Hai sensei," they chorused out.

"Sakuraaa.....!!!!!!" a girl, with short brown hair blowing in the wind and lively emerald eyes turned to face the voice. Wiping the sweat off her brow, she smiled widely and waved.

"Tomoyo-chan! What are you still doing in school? I thought classes ended up hours ago." Sakura gazed at her friend with a puzzled look on her face.

"It did," Tomoyo replied, picking up a piece of equipment, "But I had to stay in to help the Drama Club make their costumes. The fall musical is coming soon and you know how hectic things get for them." Tomoyo's legendary costume making frenzy had somewhat lessened after entering junior high school and after Sakura's card capturing days ended three years ago. Of course, she had since picked up a new hobby along the way; fortune telling and a little martial arts which surprised everyone because she was known for her gentle nature. When asked, she just shrugged it off with a laugh saying, "You'll never know when it would come in handy." Still, her skill at making costumes was still the best in the school so naturally, others came to her for help.

Nodding, Sakura returned the last of the practice equipment in the shed and locked it before rejoining her friend, who was waiting at the school gates with both their school bags. Sakura smiled at her best friend and picked up her bag. The sun was low, nearly half of it hidden under the horizon. Chatting happily, they walked down the same road they had taken for years.

"Ne Sakura, ever wondered what happened to Li-kun?" Tomoyo asked with a sly smile, eying her friend out of the corner of her eye. She caught the slight blush on her friend's face and way her eyes went wide and smiled to herself.

"Ah..ah....why do you ask Tomoya-chan?" Sakura stammered out sweatdropping, hoping that Tomoyo did not notice her face go red. _Syaoran..._

"Oh I don't know. Its been such a long time since we heard from him ne? Don't you miss him Sakura?" she turned and winked at her friend who was trying her best not to burst. Tomoyo had to put in a lot of effort to prevent herself from laughing. Sakura was so predictable sometimes. Of course she'd been there when Syaoran left. Of course she had seen him give Sakura the little black teddy bear. Of course she knew that she'd kept that bear next to her on her bedside ever since then. Nearly everyone in school knew of her little crush on the handsome Chinese boy who'd transferred to Tomoeda Elementary for a while then left. Of course, that was three years ago but most of the students had graduated into the same junior high school and few had forgotten about Li Syaoran.

Sakura stared down at her feet, forgetting to answer Tomoyo's question. _Syaoran. I wonder where he went. He barely said goodbye three years ago when he left for Hong Kong. I wonder...if he knew how I felt back then. Course not, that mean insulting jerk. _She still thought of him at times, when she was daydreaming in class or at home. At first, when he left, she had numerous dreams about him but now, only bits and pieces of him came back.. She still liked him, though not as much as she did back then. Still, every time someone mentioned his name, she would blush, hoping no one else noticed.

Tomoyo just watched as her best friend stare blankly into the air, not even looking at where she was going. After all these years, she still had something for that guy. _Li Syaoran, if only you knew how Sakura felt about you. And if only she knew how you felt about her._ Shaking her head, she jumped to catch her Sakura before she tripped over a bunch of loose stones on the sidewalk.

_Buenos Aires, Argentina_

A tall lanky teenager stood at a corner in the airport, carrying a small duffel bag over his lean but muscular arms. Cold blue eyes scanned the airport, looking for nothing in particular but searching for possible danger. His mouth was just a thin line, normally curved into a frown. Strands of black hair fell over his face, which he swept to the side. His hair looked messy, like he hadn't had the time to comb it for days, which was mostly true. Dressed totally in black, he looked somewhat menacing as he proceeded to the ticket counter. The poor employee visibly shrunk under his cold stare as she stammered out her words. Glaring at the couple behind him, he walked over to the waiting bay and leaned against the wall, folding his arms. The only other thing he had with him was a long pole, wrapped in a white cloth slung over his back. It had passed through all the security checks even though he refused to let airport officials unwrap the pole. Muttering something under his breath, he stared venomously at the giant console which showed the arriving and departing planes. He loathed flying and only did it this time because he had little other choice.

"JAL 00928 for Narita Airport, Japan will be boarding in fifteen minutes." a mechanical voice came over the intercom. As he straightened up, another similarly dressed teen dashed by him, tripping over his legs and nearly slamming into a column. He on the other hand, was swept off his feet and landed with a loud thud. Looking up, he glared a death glare at the person who had tripped him up. His eyes caught black pants, black shirt and a silver pendant which mirrored him exactly except for the pendant and the face. A pair of brown eyes twinkled down at him, accompanied by an apologetic smile. Blond hair, a little too long, was combed, although not too neatly. A hand was thrust in his face. He looked up with a scowl, which was answered with a cheeky smile. He pushed the hand aside and got up, sending mental bullets towards the smiley guy.

"JAL 00928 for Narita Airport, Japan will now board through Gate 4-B" he got up and boarded the plane, the other teenager lost in the crowd. Sitting down in the economy class section, he let out a sigh. _Finally. _Someone sat down on the seat next to him but he did not bother to look who. It didn't matter to him anyway. That was until, the someone spoke.

"Oh hey, you're the guy I bumped into just now. My apologies." he looked up in horror to see a smiling face he'd just seen not ten minutes ago. "Going to Japan too? Hope you don't mind me sitting here."

Closing his eyes and his ears, Raven wished his first wish out of the hundreds he would make in the next fourteen hours, "Please let this flight end, please let this flight end, please let this flight end.


	2. Chapter 2 The Calm Before A Storm

Chapter 2 - The Calm Before a Storm

_Five cloaked and hooded men sit around a darkened conference room...._

"It is time we put an end to this foolishness. This little experiment of yours has taken too long and furthermore, the longer you leave bits and pieces of 'him' running loose in the world, the harder it'll be to eradicate them." It was impossible to tell who said what but a few heads nodded.

"So you're planning to take away my precious experiment?" one of the hooded figures said with an evil chuckle. "You do know that 'he' knows our existence and even though 'he' is dead, 'his' toys still run free. Do not underestimate our little creation here."

"Careful what you do this time Lu-" a new voice paused, realizing that the precious identity of the Five should be kept a secret, even from the rest of them. "The last time you attempted to interfere, that plan backfired rather explosively." That earned a few chuckles from around the table. "Irregardless, I feel that this has indeed gone on too long. It is time to put an end to all this."

_Tomoeda_

"Sakura... Sakura.... SAKURA!!" Sakura flinched and nearly fell backwards off her chair when a large spoon was thrust inches from her face. Holding the spoon was her brother, Touya, with an expression on his face that was somewhere between amusement and annoyance.

"Nii-chan!!" she yelped, regaining her balance. "Don't you dare do that again. You nearly gave me a heart attack!" she attempted to scowl at her brother but could only manage a glare. Touya merely looked bemused at his little sister.

"Well I wouldn't have had to if you weren't dreaming away on the breakfast table. Go wash up and get ready for school. You'll be late again if you don't hurry." he turned towards the kitchen.

Sakura stuck out her tongue at his back and stomped off upstairs. From the kitchen, she could hear him yelling at her not to stomp else she'll break something one day. _Baka nii-chan... _she fumed. Glancing at the clock, she realized that she was really going to be late. Hurriedly, she put on her uniform and hopped down on one foot while attempting to pull a sock up the other.

"Little monster! If you break anything you're paying for it! And you had better not be hopping down the steps. Otou-san already told you that it was dangerous. SAKURA!"

Ignoring her brother, she quickly, put on her shoes and ran out of the house, slamming the door behind her. She had to run today to avoid being late...again. Taking a deep breath, she started running down the pathway. She had that dream again last night. A dream she had not dreamt in years, ever since Syaoran left. Closing her eyes, she tried to recall the dream.

_Sakura...I...I...._

_You what Syaoran?_

_I..._

_Hurry, we're running out of time..._

_I..._

_- darkness -_

"Sakura!" she banged into someone's back, nearly falling over.

"Ah..ah...sorry...I wasn't looking where..." she looked up to see three equally bemused faces of her classmates, Tomoyo, Rika and Chiharu.

"Seriously Sakura, you should daydream less and pay attention to where you're going." muttered Chiharu, trying to keep her face straight. Sakura giggled in embarrassment. She couldn't help daydreaming after all...

"I wonder what Sakura-chan was daydreaming about this time," Tomoyo piped out with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. The rest of them turned to face Sakura, who was going slightly pink.

"Ah....ano....it was nothing," she sweatdropped. Since when did her best friend acquire that mischievous streak her? "I was just...thinking about something..." she gushed nervously.

"Ah...something or _someone_?" her friend giggled. "Come to think about it, you have been spacing out in class a lot more then usual." Tomoyo smiled. _Sakura, you're soooo predictable. Of course, that makes you even cuter! I wonder what you were thinking about. O ho ho...maybe its time I took my video camera with me again._

"Ah...ah...." Sakura was at lost for words and stared down at her feet. Her friends laughed at her flustered expression. Looking up, she noticed the dreamy expression on Tomoyo's face and shivered slightly. She knew that expression on her best friend's face and that usually meant she had something on her mind. Tomoyo caught her staring at her and smiled back gently. Sakura looked away smiling. Whether she was making costumes for her or filing her in her most private moments, she was and will always be her best friend.

"I told you to STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Sakura looked up startled. Had those words been directed to her? Her friends were also looking around, puzzled.

"Aww, you don't want to hang around with me anymore?" Sakura finally noticed two guys walking behind them. Both similarly clad in black but one of them had black hair, steel cold blue eyes and a frown whilst the other had blond hair, brown eyes which had a constant twinkle in them and a ridiculous smile plastered across his face. At the moment, he was literally dancing around his friend who looked ready to explode.

Sakura and her friends just watched as the duo passed by them and walked on. The guy with the brown eyes looked back at them and smiled brightly. While her friends tittered, Sakura couldn't help but feel that he looked right at her as he smiled. She also felt a slight twitching sensation through her magical senses which she hadn't felt for a long, long time.

_Principal's office, an hour later..._

_Why did this annoying idiot follow me here? _

The principal of Tomoeda Junior High School stared at the two similarly dressed teens standing in front of him. He addressed the blond first.

"Ky Du Luc Chare-," he paused and stared up apologetically at the boy who smiled back politely, "I'm sorry, what did you say you're name was again?"

Chuckling, he replied, "Ky Du Luce Claret Fontaine. But while I'm in Japan I just go by Ky." he smiled a hundred-watt smile at the principal who couldn't help but smile back.

_Suck up..._

"Okay Ky. You're in class 2-1C. Classes start at eight every morning so don't be late. And welcome to Tomoeda." he waved at Ky who bowed slightly and left. He turned his attention to the scary looking one. Gulping, he looked down at the application forms. No way he was going to be intimidated by a mere teenager.

"Raven...." he looked up, trying to meet the cold icy stare. "You applied for the post of...a...janitor?" he looked up incredulously. "Are you sure you're even old enough to work boy?"

Raven grit his teeth. It wasn't his choice to work at this position but it was the only available spot that didn't require...socializing. He muttered a terse _yes_ and resumed his attempts to freeze the principal with his icy stare.

"I..." the icy stare was now a deep frown which seemed to promise unending pain for him, his family and possible descendants. Sighing, he signed the forms and handed them to Raven who took them and left without a word. The principal's shoulders slumped slightly. He hoped against hope that he hadn't made a big mistake.

"Raven-kun~!!" Raven flinched slightly. He was beginning to detest that annoying voice. Turning around, he was about to say something nasty when a familiar black and blond mass crashed into him, sending him to the ground. Eyes flashing in anger, he pushed Ky up and pinned him against the wall. The blond stared back at him, eyes twinkling in mirth and an innocent smile spread across his face.

"For the last time I'm telling you. Stay away from me or I will PULVERIZE you! Tch..." he let go of Ky and stomped down the hallway muttering something about dumb blonds. Ky stared after him, an eyebrow raised.

The bell rang.

Sakura stared at the figures on the board, her pen poised above the same math problem for the last ten minutes. She slumped her shoulders in defeat. Staring out the window, a stray memory entered her mind again. It was Syaoran, his head bent over her math book furiously trying to explain to her how it was solved. His intense brown eyes and brown hair which so often came to her rescue.

Tomoyo glanced at her friend who was now smiling into the air, a dreamy look in her eyes. Smiling to herself, she returned to the lesson, making a mental note to get in touch with Syaoran as soon as she could.

A knock came on the door and the door slid open. Terada-sensei stepped in and spoke to the math teacher. The class was about to stand to greet him when he waved his hand with a smile, indicating they did not have to get up.

"Class, you have a new transfer student here today. Welcome Ky...uh....." he motioned to someone outside the door.

"Just Ky," a smiling blond came in the door and bowed slightly towards the class, "Umm...my real name is kinda long so...its better if I just go with Ky."

Sakura sat up with a start. She hadn't noticed Terada-sensei come in, so deep she was in her daydreaming but then a spike came through her magical senses and a shiver went through her spine. She stared at the blond teen. It was the same guy from this morning, she realized. He caught her look and smiled at her, making her squirm in her seat. She smiled back, half-heartedly. Something was different about him, it wasn't bad...just...different.. She shook the feeling off, instead she tried to concentrate on the class. But no matter how she tried, she couldn't shake the feeling that Ky was staring at her all through class.

"Ne Kai," Chiharu asked after class was over. She couldn't pronounce the foreign sounding name so she opted to just use the closest she could pronounce. Little did she know that the name would stick to her smiling blond classmate....forever. "Where do you come from? You're not from around here are you?" The rest of the crowd surrounding the new student either groaned or sweatdropped. Leave it to Chiharu to ask the obvious.

Ky, now Kai, smiled his brilliant smile at her and replied in perfect Japanese, "No, I'm not from Japan. I'm from France to be exact," he winked at Chiharu, making her blush slightly much to the annoyance of Takashi who happened to be nearby. "I've come here because my family has some business in Japan and well...I still have to learn don't I?" Half the girls were practically swooning over the new French exchange student now, giggling and whispering among themselves. Sakura stood at a distance, uncertain whether to join in or just go home. She opted to go home. She'll talk to Kai some other time when there were less people around. On the way, she overheard Takashi muttering to himself as he marched out, saying something about how dare the new Frenchy hit on his Chiharu. Sakura smiled to herself upon hearing the usually uncaring Takashi get all worked up over Chiharu. She took her bag and strolled down the hall, nearly bumping into someone.

_Crap, whats with me and getting banged up by other people. _He focused on the girl who nearly bumped into him and was now apologizing profusely. He could feel a strong presence around the girl and his eyes narrowed. _This was the girl? The mistress of the Clow Cards? She looks more...I don't know...softer than I expected._ He could feel the subtle energy of the Clow Cards and the aura of Clow Reed around the girl. The guardian of the Clow Cards...now what was he supposed to do. He'd found her quicker than he thought he would... He suddenly realized that he was staring at the girl. Glaring at her, he strode past her, wheeling a cart full of cleaning supplies.

Sakura stared after him, wondering why he had glared at her so fiercely. After all, she had just bumped into him and she HAD apologized. She had recognized him, he was the guy Kai was dancing around this morning. Briefly she wondered what connection the both of them had. She debated between asking Kai or the scary looking one. Kai seemed friendly but there was something..amiss about him. The scary one on the other hand... She shivered slightly. That glare reminded her of Syaoran but his had been out of pure rivalry while this guy's had been, heartless and cruel. Shaking her head, she ran home before anything else could pop up and ruin her day.

"Kero-chan, Kero-chan!!" she burst into her room to find it empty except for a bag of chips lying on the floor. She shook her head and walked over to pick it up. _That Kero-chan, always leaving his trash around. _The bag moved and out popped the Guardian of Clow Cards, in his miniature form.

"HERE I AM!!!"

"Hoe-e!" she shrieked, caught off guard. She was muffled when Kero stuffed the empty bag of chips in her face. She pulled the bag off her face, which was now a deep shade of red. "Kero!" she yelled, forgetting that her brother was downstairs and if she made too much noise he would...

"Sakura! Is everything alright up there? Stop yelling you're going to scare the neighbors!" she could hear his footsteps coming up the steps. Hurriedly, she pushed Kero back into her drawer before picking up the empty bag and heading for the trash can. She barely made it halfway before the door creaked open and Touya's face peeked in suspiciously.

"Whats with all the yelling kaijou?" (kaijou = monster) he spied the bag of chips and frowned at her. "You shouldn't be eating all that junk food its almost dinnertime. Wait till otou-san finds out." he chuckled and stepped out of the room, barely avoiding a pillow which Sakura flung at him.

"Don't you dare tell on me you big meanie!!" she yelled down at her brother. Sighing heavily, she flopped down on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

"Sakura! How many times do I have to tell you to keep it down?" Kero exclaimed, letting himself out of the drawer and floating in front of Sakura with his little hands on his hips.

"Gomen Kero-chan," she apologized, "You just scared me thats all..." she puffed out her cheeks. "You shouldn't leave the wrappers lying on the floor you know.."

The little flying stuffed toy just waved smugly, "I meant to clear it up....later.... And besides, didn't you have something to tell me?"

_She had completely forgot about it _Kero noted by the look on her face. "Ah yeah!" she scrambled up to stare out of the window, "There's a new student in our class. His name is Ky and he seems like a nice guy and all but..." she trailed off, staring absent-mindedly out of the window. Kero sighed and flew over to his mistress. The little Guardian of the Sun sat on her shoulder as she reached up an unconsciously stroke his head.

"Hoe..." she suddenly blurted out, causing Kero to lose balance and fall on the floor with a soft thud. "Sorry Kero, I kinda spaced out a little over there didn't I?" she sighed, "So uhh...what was I talking about again?"

Kero sweatdropped, staring at Sakura. "You were talking about some new kid name Kai. Then you kinda lost me.."

"Oh yeah, Kai. Anyways, there's something wrong with him. I can feel it every time I'm around him...feels like... I don't know.. Kinda like the first time I met Eriol-kun."

"Hmmm...." Kero stroked his chin reflectively, "I'll go take a look at this Kai kid. But remember, there is a lot of magic in the world. Even those not related to Clow Reed." he spun around to face Sakura. "Still, be careful. As the Mistress of the Clow Cards, there are many people who would love to get their hands on those cards."

"Yeah...I know." Sakura pulled open her drawer and removed the Clow cards, spreading them on the bed in front of her. They were her cards now, bound to her by contract. No longer Clow Cards but Sakura cards. It had been a long time since she had last used them. She sighed again, her brother was calling for her to dinner. Placing the cards back into the drawer, she ran downstairs quickly. The day's events had made her hungry and the thought of food cheered her up. Kero floated up to the window, staring out. He could feel it, an uneasy feeling. For once, he wished that the Chinese brat was here. Of all the people, Sakura would need him most in the days to come...

_Hong Kong _

Syaoran stared out at the waves lapping against the harbor. He'd just escaped another attempt by his fan club at school to trap him and...heavens knows what they planned on doing afterwards. The salty breeze brushed by his face. He could feel an uneasy tug in his heart. The feeling had been there for several days now and it only served to make him even more irritable. He knew, deep inside that something was going to happen and he was just feeling the calm before a storm. _Sakura, I hope you're alright. Sorry...I can't be there for you this time.._

"Little brother?" Syaoran turned to see his sister, Li Fanren standing a couple of meters away. "I thought I'd find you here. Mother wants you back for dinner later." she went silent after that, staring out to the sea with her littler brother.

Syaoran took a deep breath and stood up, glancing at the sea once more before turning away. His sister followed him, feeling slightly worried about her little brother. He'd never been the same after going to Japan. No one ever found out what had happened and no one knew except for Meilin. But she was miles away in Shanghai at the moment. She prayed in her heart that her precious little brother did not get into any more trouble. She did not inherit any magic so she could not feel what was going on in the air. Still, she was sharp and did not miss the worried looks on the magic wielders in her family. Well, there was nothing she could do could she? All she could do, was watch and pray.

_On the rooftop of Tomoeda Junior High_

Raven stood facing the setting sun. Unwrapping the pole he had brought along with him to Japan, he unveiled a long staff. Pointing the staff towards the sun, he muttered something foreign. A magical seal sprung out beneath his feet, glowing bright blue, the same shade as his eyes. Closing his eyes, he stood still, feeling the power of the sun course through his veins. He lowered his staff, pointing it at the ground. The seal etched itself into the surface of the building, invisible to the naked eye. Gritting his teeth, he set the staff down again. No matter what, he would not allow the Mistress of the Cards to get hurt. Not until he finished what he had come to....

"Tsk tsk, you should be more careful when using magic Raven-kun." he cringed at the sound of the familiar voice. _Blondy...why is he always around when I don't want him to. Wait...he knows about magic?_ Whirling around to face the entrance to the roof, he was greeted with silence and an empty rooftop. _Was I dreaming?_

A/NI'm bored T.T haha well..finished the second chapter faster than i thought I would. Hope I didn't rush or anything. ^^'' Read, review, criticize, anything. I'd be glad for anything cause I'm not too sure about this chapter =/ I'll get to any comments whenever I can.


	3. Chapter 3 The Legend

Chapter 3 – The Legend

_In a large villa on the banks of the Loire River, France_

Autumn in France was even worse then in Japan, Eriol Hiiragisawa noted to his minor displeasure. He didn't particularly detest the cold but magician or not, too much cold tended to sap the energy out of him. Retreating to the fireplace, he sat on his usual chair, staring into the steady flames of the fire. Lying oat his usual place was Spinel Sun, his cat like guardian, reading another book which he had probably dug up from his collection of magical books. His other guardian, Ruby Moon was nowhere to be seen. Eriol shook his head slowly, wondering what mischief his moon guardian was up to this time. The last time he let that troublesome girl-wannabe out of his sight... he shook his head, not wanting to remember the damage done by the resulting fire. Thank heavens he was a magician or that little magical fire could well have burnt down the tiny village by the Loire River. He debated on getting up to look for her but decided against it. He had more pressing matters to think about.

Spinel Sun looked up from his book, noticing the deep reflective look on Eriol's face. Lately his master had been more preoccupied than usual, hiding away in his study for hours at length. He almost looked...worried...which was very unusual for the reincarnation of the greatest sorcerer in human history. Closing the book with a small sigh, he made his way to his master's shoulder.

Eriol closed his eyes, feeling the slight weight of Spinel Sun on his shoulder. He heard Ruby Moon enter the room quietly and sighed softly as well. He knew his guardian well enough to know when she had done something troublesome which he probably had to go clean up later.

"Eriol, I uh..." the moon guardian, in the form of Nakuru stammered out.

"Its okay, sit down." Eriol said, almost without thinking. She stared at him in surprise. Opening her mouth to protest further, Eriol silenced her, lifting a palm. She sat down obediently. When her master was in this state, it was better not to question him, she had learnt.

Eriol opened his eyes, staring at his guardians. He could feel something in the air, a deep magical presence for some time now. What frightened him was what he saw in Clow Reed's memories. That was not all. Whatever this was, it threatened the entire magical balance of the world. Getting up, he walked over to a small globe which he had obtained from Clow Reed's collection. The globe was an ordinary globe, identical to all other except for a bunch of red lines which ran around the entire world, crisscrossing countries, continents and oceans. Running a finger over one of the lines, he traced it through the spot he was standing at the moment, over France. Ley lines, magical circuits which distributed and regulated energy throughout the world. He had learnt from Clow's books that there was a lot more to magic than his. A lot that had yet to be learnt...

"The Circle of Magic," Eriol muttered, more to himself than to anyone else. "The guardians and keepers of magic in the world." Clow Reed himself was afraid of this circle, whatever it was. And what he feared, Eriol himself also had a reason to fear. He spun the globe again. Something was after the pieces of Clow Reed and by reasoning, whatever it was would either target him or... His finger stopped on Japan.

"Nakura, go in my study and get me this," he sketched out a pendant with a large star shaped diamond hanging from it. The moon guardian ran out of the room, door slamming behind her. Eriol glanced out the window at the gray autumn sky. He had to act fast before Clow Reed's greatest fears could come to pass...

* * *

_Tokyo Tower_

Long auburn hair billowed in the wind as a slim figure stood on the marrow ledge at the top of the Tokyo Tower. Below, the blinking city lights fanned out in all directions, like the night sky. The night was chilly, cloudless and moonless. Faint sounds from the city below wafted up towards the silent figure, who was just standing there like there was no danger in that act whatsoever. The tight fitting black suit she wore was similar to the ones worn by ninjas in the olden days. Slung over her back was a long, thin double edged sword, wrapped in the same shade of midnight black. Her silver eyes were blank, expressionless. Her mouth, face and expression showing no emotion, except for a faint hint of boredom.

Extracting a piece of chalk from a pocket somewhere in her suit, she drew the seal of the Circle on the metal surface of the tower. Touching the seal, she chanted out a spell in a monotonous voice. The seal glowed with energy, then faded slowly, bit by bit. From another pocket, she pulled out two photos, one of a young girl with light brown hair and emerald eyes. The other was a boy with darker brown hair, brown eyes which glared at her from the picture. She ran her fingers over the pictures, memorizing the feel of their auras. The magical seals she had placed at numerous locations in the city were meant to inhibit if not nullify different styles of magic. Since she did not know what type of magic either used, she had to put up thrice as many seals to be sure. It was just like the Circles to give her vague information to work on.

Flicking her fingers, the photos burst into flames, its ashes blowing away in the wind. She stared at the city, debating to herself what to do first. She decided to go after the boy. After that she could return to finish off the girl. Stepping of the tower, she did not seem to mind the fact that she was hundreds of feet in the air. Nevertheless, she landed on the ground lightly, as if she had just stepped of a two feet ledge instead of a thousand feet tower...

* * *

_Tomoeda Junior High_

"YAY THE FIELD TRIP IS TODAY!! I'MSOEXCITEDAREN'TYOUTOMOYO???!!" Sakura danced around Tomoyo who was calmly smiling back. Today she was going on a field trip along with her class to the Tokyo Museum. She didn't particularly like history but she was glad for the excuse to skip classes. Smiling happily, she proceeded to greet everyone in class. Tomoyo shook her head, still smiling. Sakura may have graduated from elementary school but she still acted like a kid sometimes. Still, this was Sakura she was talking about and some things just never change, she thought to herself while watching Sakura trip clumsily over a book into the arms of Kai. Tomoyo's smile dropped at that. There was something about the new kid she didn't particularly like. She watched as Sakura stammered an apology and straightened up with an embarrassed smile. Worries put aside, she strode down to join Sakura and her friends as they chatted happily about what they were going to do for the day.

"Ne Kai-kun, ever been to the museum before?" "Kaiiiii-kuunnnn, wanna join us later at the museum?" "Kai....." Kai stood at the center of the commotion, several students crowding around him. A bemused smile on his face, he was trying to keep up with the flow of questions as a small battle ensued for his attention.

"BLONDY!!" a deep voice roared from the door. Several heads turned in surprise, including Kai's. Standing at the doorway was Raven, clearly angry over something. "I'll teach you to mess with my hair!!"

Student closer to the door were now backing up, clearly afraid of the scary looking monster that had appeared. Others were pointing and whispering rather loudly,.

"Ne, isn't that the new janitor?"

"What does he want with Kai-kun?"

"Ooh, he looks so scary with that face.."

"Is his hair dyed pink??! That looks ridiculous."

"I think it looks cute on him."

Kai took the opportunity to escape, slipping between two student who were gaping at the distraction. He barely took two steps when a broom came flying towards him. He barely dodged it, the shaft of the broom passing a mere inch from his head. The broom crashed into the wall and fell to the ground as several students stared incredulously at it.

"Tch, missed.." Raven muttered. Kai had somehow made his way through the students and was now standing in front of him, the same silly smile plastered on his face. Raven had never felt the urge to beat the crap out of anyone this much before. He barely restrained himself, reminded that he would get fired if he beat up a student.

"Aww? Raven-kun doesn't like his new hairstyle? And to think I put so much effort into it." Kai put on a pouty face, mischief written all over his face. "I think it suits you ne?" he was about to run his hand through Raven's hair when a large hand held his. Raven stared at him, cold blue eyes sending shards of ice at the blond who simply smiled back.

"Ooh, Raven looks so cool with that look on his face," Kai cooed, nearly sending the angry teen over the edge. Gritting his teeth, he stepped back and slammed the door shut before he could do anything he'd regret later. Muttering curses, he stomped off to find a way to wash off the pink dye.

After the small incident, the class packed themselves into several buses. Chatting happily, they arrived at the museum in no time. Sakura pressed her face against the window, admiring the view. Getting off the bus, they were divided into two groups. Group A, Sakura's group, left for the new wing of the museum while the other group, Group B, headed for the older wing.

"Ooh Sakura," Tomoyo squealed in delight, "Look, doesn't that costume look adorable??" she said, pointing towards one of the exhibits. Sakura, who was staring at a large portrait of an ancient hero, turned around to stare at the exhibit.

"Ahehe Tomoyo-chan, you do realize that those are clothes meant for slaves right?" Sakura said, pointing toward the sign at the bottom of the exhibit. Tomoyo blinked, looking at the sign for the first time.

"Ahh...but still, doesn't it look great?" she stared, enraptured by the simple white design which was nothing more than a piece of white cloth.

"You know," Takashi piped in, "In ancient times, whenever there was a famine, slaves were often used as..."

"Yamazaki Takashi! You had better not be filling their heads with nonsense again!" a large textbook appeared out of nowhere, hitting him squarely on the head. Chiharu stomped up to Sakura, who was staring at Takashi wide eyed, knowing what he was about to say.

"Sorry Sakura, I kinda let my eyes off him for a second and he goes around blabbering stories again." Chiharu smiled apologetically at Sakura before grabbing Takashi, who was still lying on the floor, by the collar and dragging him off.

"Its true, after they're killed, the slaves return to haunt the descendants of the family which..." he was silenced when the textbook was shoved into his mouth, gagging him.

"What a cute couple," Tomoyo piped out, hands clasped. Sakura sweatdropped. After entering junior high, Chiharu seemed to have grown closer with the ever blabbering Takashi. She had stopped choking him every time he started telling stories however, because he had pointed out once that she was 'pressing rather hard against his back'. She looked so red after that that they were afraid she was going to burst but all she said was...

"BAKA TAKASHI!!"

…before stomping off. After that incident, she had resorted to throwing stuff at him, often her history textbook which was thick and rather heavy. Sakura smiled wistfully at the squabbling couple. Of course, neither had the guts ask the other to go out. Still, nearly the entire class knew that they both had it for each other and most of them (including Sakura) secretly lent their support.

"Wait Takashi-kun, is it really true? Did they really..?" Sakura waved after Takashi who was being dragged off. Now it was Tomoyo's turn to sweatdrop. Along with everyone who happened to be nearby. Only Rika looked about as horrified as Sakura. Kai stood by the side, smiling at the scene. He had just escaped the clutches of his little fan club and was bound to be found sooner or....

"I SEE HIM!!" a voice chorused out, followed by the clattering of feet. Kai groaned and took off again. He had a small feeling this was going to be a long day.

The first part of the trip passed by quickly. After a quick lunch at the museum cafeteria, they resumed the tour, which now brought them into the older section of the museum.

While the tour guide droned on in front about the Edo Period, Sakura chose instead to stare wide-eyes at the large life sized mannequins of an ancient samurai. Sword upright, it stared menacingly at Sakura. Tomoyo stood next to her, wishing that she'd brought along her video camera. Alas, the museum did not allow cameras inside.

"And here we have the history of the Heian Period. This was the time where..." the tour guide was tuned out by Sakura. She had just spotted a small doorway between two exhibits but when she asked the guide, she merely got a warning not to open the door. She stared at the door, feeling a strange feeling sweep over her, a familiar old feeling.

"Tomoyo-chan, I feel something," she whispered, "Feels like a Clow Card but..there's something strange about it. I'm going to go check it out." Tomoyo nodded, peering around the corner to make sure the group had passed ahead of them. Turning back, she nodded again to Sakura, who was trying the handle of the door. No matter what she did, it wouldn't budge. She fingered the key to her Star Staff, which she kept hanging on a chain around her neck. Not that it would do any good, her cards were back home, in her drawer. She stared at the door, willing it to open.

"Having problems?" a smooth voice came from behind. Sakura whirled round, nearly tripping herself up in the process to see the smiling face of Kai.

"Ano...no not really," she furiously tried to come up with an excuse but Kai didn't seem too interested at what they were doing. Instead, he reached for the door and tested the lock. Pulling a pin out of his pocket, he stuck it in the keyhole and...

_Click _The door swung open to his satisfaction.

"Ah be careful now," he warned her in a cheery voice, "I'll go make sure no one misses the both of you." he skipped off before either of them could say a word.

Sakura stared after Kai, trying to piece together what had just happened. Did Kai just open the door for her? How did he open the door? Did he know? Questions spun in her head, but there were no answers. She peered in the now open door at a flight of stairs leading downwards. Forget Kai, the door was open wasn't it?

Taking a couple of steps down cautiously, she itched to unlock her staff. However, she couldn't risk it if anyone were to see her doing so. Still, she felt open and vulnerable without it. Tomoyo, who was right behind her, gripped her hand reassuringly. Swallowing her fear, she went down the remainder of the steps, reaching another door. The feeling was stronger now, it was literally pulling her towards it, drawing her magic with its own power.

Sakura reached out and twisted the knob gently. The door swung open slowly, revealing a darkened interior. Tomoyo then noticed the small sign on the door which read:

_Magical Artifacts of Ancient Japan_

_Restricted except to authorized personnel_

She touched Sakura's hand lightly but her friend didn't notice her. Tomoyo looked at Sakura, noticing that her friend had a faraway look in her eyes. Concern gripped her heart and she shook Sakura gently, trying to pull her out of her slight trance.

Sakura took a step forward, unaware of everything around her. There was a soft voice in the back of her head. Calling her...pulling her... She tried to push away the voice but it kept nagging her at the edge of her consciousness. She found herself walking into the room. Her vision blurred, the only thing she could see was a small box laid on a table at the far end of the room.

"Sakura!!" Tomoyo whispered urgently. She didn't feel good about it at all. Now she was tugging at Sakura's arm but she just continued walking deeper into the room. She let go of Sakura's arm and stood in front of her friend, desperately trying to pull her out of the trance. "Sakkuuurraaaaa......"

Sakura did not notice any of this. She reached the table, staring at the book which was covered with numerous symbols and drawings. Reaching out, she touched the symbols, feeling the shiver of magic through her veins. Opening the book, a card floated out onto the table. Sakura recognized the design of a Clow Card but..this one was different. The aura coming from it was not of Clow Reed and the card had a slightly different seal on it. The card itself was a dull gray instead of gold. Reaching out, she touched the surface of the card and....

The seal on the card broke, snapping Sakura out of her trance and sending her backwards with a cry. The card shot into the air, levitating under its own power. Sakura, turned to face the card as it flew into her hand. Images from the past flew by in front of her at blinding speed. Clow Reed...his descendants...her mother...her father... Several other images of people she didn't know flew by. Then she recognized the next picture... Eriol Hiiragisawa...Syaoran...and finally, the last frame...

A splitting image of her stared back, determination in her eyes as the images ceased and all that was left was darkness. A circle appeared, a five-pointed star in it. Standing at the five points of the star were five figures, five faceless shadows. Then her vision clouded and there was only darkness.

"Sakkuuraaaaa...."

A crackling sound....why did it sound familiar?

"Sakkuuuurraaa....SAAAKKKUURRAAA!!"

That voice.... Tomoyo-chan.... What is that crackling voice in the background?

"Sakura wake up! We have to get out of here before the fire reaches us!"

FIRE!! Sakura's eyes flew open in horror. The darkness of the room was replaced by the yellow-orange glow. In front of her, Tomoyo was shaking her shoulders desperately. Flames licked at the table where she had been just a minute ago.

"To...Tomoyo...." relief spread over her best friend's face. Pulling herself to her feet with Tomoyo's help, she realized she was still holding on to the card. Turning it around to see the front, she saw the name for the card for the first time... 'The Legend'

"Come on, we really have to get out of here..." Tomoyo literally dragged Sakura out of the room, up the flight of stairs. Ember flames licked at the wooden steps behind her as they emerged choking into the corridor above. Sakura moved automatically, her mind still frozen in shock. With surprising strength, Tomoyo smashed the fire alarm and immediately, the high pitch shrill filled the museum. Running down the corridor with Sakura in tow, she realized that the fire had burnt ahead of them, cutting them off from the entrance.

"Tomoyo-chan..." Sakura croaked as smoke started to fill the corridor. Regaining her senses, she realized that the only way out was through the other end. But that way was the room where the fire had started. In that case, there was only one way out.... Holding Tomoyo's hand, she dashed back down the corridor, hoping that there was a fire exit somewhere.

"Mihara.....Sasaki.....Yamazaki...." the teacher called out names one by one getting a reply from the students which had gathered outside after the fire alarm sounded. One by one she went down the list till she reached two names...

"Kinomoto....Daidouji...." she called out, earning silence in response. The rest of the students looked around worriedly. None of them had seen both of them for a while now. Murmuring among themselves, they failed to notice that Kai had also vanished, a second after Sakura's name was called out.

"I see it!" Sakura cried out, noticing the fluorescent sign above the fire exit. Choking on the thick black smoke, she stumbled towards the sign. It was then that her friend went limp, collapsing onto the floor with a thud.

"Sa...ku...ra.... Go on ahead...." she pleaded as her best friend knelt down next to her. The look of determination in her eyes told Tomoyo that it was no use trying to persuade her out of it. Stars began to swim in front of her eyes as she struggled to maintain her consciousness. She felt herself being literally dragged along the floor. The last thing she saw was the green sign of the fire exit in the distance before she fainted.

Sakura pulled Tomoyo along with all her strength. The thick smoke made it hard to see where she was going and she tripped over several pieces of a half burnt exhibit. _Just a little more....I have to hang on just a little more..._ The fire exit loomed in the distance, her last hope of saving them. Her head swam as the smoke she had inhaled began to take its effect on her. Struggling with all her might to remain awake, she pulled on Tomoyo's limp body. Another exhibit crashed down in front of her, sending bright embers in all directions. Sakura bit back a cry of pain as the superheated air blew past her skin. She took another step then wavered, her body unable to move any further. _I'm sorry...Tomoyo...._ She toppled forward slowly, her world going black as a pair of strong hands grabbed her arms. Turning around, she saw blond hair framing a worried face before her eyes shut.

"Sensei!! Someone give me a hand..." the entire class turned to see Kai emerge from a small fire exit, smoke and flames billowing out from behind him. In his arms was Tomoyo and flopped over his back was Sakura, both of them unconscious. Scrambling quickly, the entire class ran to help, fueled by their concern. In the distance, the wailing of sirens could be heard as the dark black smoke from the fire wafted slowly into the air. Having been relieved of his load, Kai sank to the ground, exhausted. The thick smoke was beginning to take effect on him as well. Staring back at the burning museum, he wondered what the both of them had done to start the fire. He could feel the magic, fueling the fire. He turned to stare at the Mistress of the Cards. She looked tiny and frail but he had seen the look of determination in her eyes a second before she had given in to the flames.

The firefighters were arriving now but Kai knew they didn't have a chance against the magical fire. This fire could only be put out by... He felt a familiar surge of energy surround the fire and smiled to himself. Looking up, he spotted a familiar black figure standing at the edge of the building...before vanishing again. The fire, having been cut off from its energy source, began to die out, casting an orange glow into the evening sky.

* * *

A/N ----- is too tired to write notes. refer to previous chapter =P thanks for any support so far =)


	4. Chapter 4 Some Things, Never Change

Chapter 4 - Some things, Never Change

_Syaaooorrraaann..... _

Who?

_Syaaooorrraaann..... _

Who is it?

_Listen well, my son....._

Fa...father??

_No time to talk. You must go Syaoran..._

_Danger approached you and the one you treasure..._

_Go now, before it is too late..._

The one I... Sakura??

Go...back?

_Hurry Syaoran...I will be watching over you..._

_Take care, my boy..._

Yes, father... I will go..

I won't let anything touch my...

"SAKURA!!" Syaoran bolted up in his bed, sweating profusely. He took a look at the darkened walls of his bedroom and slumped back into his pillow. _What was that all about? _He stared at his hand in the dark, then ran it through his hair. _Father? Li Ryuuren? _He had never met his father, not that he could remember ever meeting him. Mother had told him that his father had died when he was merely three.

_Sakura..._ He had felt a jolt of power shudder through him hours ago, in the evening. From under his bed, he pulled out the only remaining thing that he had to do with the little cherry blossom...

A photo, taken on one of their school trips. _She looks so happy..._He thought to himself, smiling at the memory of her. He shook his head. He wasn't in elementary school anymore. Besides, she had probably forgotten all about him during these years. He lay in his bed for a moment, trying to untangle his mixed emotions. Did he really still feel the same way about her? Back then it had been so clear, especially nearing the end of his stay in Tomoeda. He fingered the photo, smiling wistfully to himself. Little did he know, he was being watched...until...

"You seem to care a lot about that girl..." a dull, somewhat feminine voice stated calmly from the window. Syaoran sat up in shock. He hadn't felt anyone come in... Turning to face the window, he could faintly discern the slight outline of his intruder, silhouetted against the night sky.

"Who are you?" he stated back, regaining his composure. He edged towards his practice sword, which hung from the wall near his bed.

"That is of no concern to you." the intruder, clearly a girl, noted dryly, "But I must admit, you took it more calmly than I was led to believe you would." she swung herself in, dropping gracefully on the floor and staring at him. From that distance, he could make out that her eyes were silver, reflecting the little moonlight which streamed through his opened window. She was shorter than him, Syaoran noted, yet she didn't seem afraid or even cautious. She was dangerous, he summarized, dangerous enough to sneak into the bedroom of a Li Clan warrior in the middle of the Li Clan village and walk around like there was not a worry in the world.

"So, you done gaping at me like that?" she uttered coolly. Syaoran's mind raced, finding for words to say. The girl was now looking around his room, taking in the sparse furniture he had.

"Isn't it impolite to sneak into someone's room during the night?" Syaoran's gaze pierced the intruder, whoever it was. "More so you haven't introduced yourself or told me why you're here for."

For a few seconds, she didn't respond, her eyes sweeping the room once more then settling back on Syaoran who was still sitting calmly on his bed.

"To tell you the truth, I came here to get rid of you but..." she trailed off... "You'd make too much noise wouldn't you? So I come with a warning instead." her voice went softer as she said this.

"Watch your back..Li Syaoran... Cause one day, I will stab it and then...its her turn." Syaoran strained to hear her voice which was now imperceptibly low. However, he did not miss the veiled threat and he stiffened. _Surely she didn't mean...Sakura! _Gritting his teeth, he lost his patience with the intruder and lunged for his sword, spinning around to face his empty room. A voice then whispered in his ear...

"So you DO care about that girl. Better hurry Little Wolf, or I will get to her first..." her soft, emotionless laugh sent shivers down his spine. Whirling around again, he only managed to catch an after image of the girl who was now outside his window in the murky darkness...

Dropping his sword down, Syaoran sat on the bed again, slightly shaken. He had to go, of course he had to go...but...mother... HE bit his lip, visualizing how Li Ielan would react when she found him gone. He shook his head.. _Sorry mother, I have no choice... I hope you understand it this time..._ He quickly stuffed whatever he could find into his bag. Then, a soft knock came on his door, causing him to freeze.

"Xiao Lang," his Li Fanren's head popped inside, "What was going on? I thought I heard something from your room..." her sleepy voice trailed off when she noticed the bag Syaoran was packing which had half a shirt sticking out of it. Sliding herself into the room, she looked at Syaoran incredulously.

"Li Xiao Lang you're not seriously planning to leave are you??" she hissed in a low voice, getting no answer. Syaoran continued packing, a look of steel determination in his eyes. Sighing to herself, she left the room quietly. He stared at the door, half afraid that she'll wake mother up. Hurriedly, he packed the last of his clothes before leaving the room silently. He tiptoed down the stairs, hoping that his sister wouldn't do anything rash.

"Psst....Xiaoo Lanngg...." he turned to see his sister half hidden behind the stairs. His heart beating faster, he walked over to her slowly, half expecting her to scream or for his mother to leap out from the shadows.

Instead, she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug. Syaoran's eyes widened in surprise as she let go of him and stared at her younger brother with tears in her eyes. "I understand you have to go...just, promise me you'll take care of yourself okay?" she ruffled his hair, smiling sadly at him. "Oh, and you will need this..." she pulled a long gleaming sword from behind her. Syaoran instantly recognized his family's sword, the sword of Li Ryuuren. Gaping at his sister, he took the sword, staring at his reflection in the cool steel blade.

"Mother will kill me if she finds out that I gave it to you. But I'm sure father would want you to have it. Now hurry Syaoran, before anyone wakes up and finds you gone."

"Thank you, sister..." he muttered softly in the darkness. She smiled at him for one last time then melted away in the dark. Sealing away the sword, Syaoran snuck out into the open grounds of the Li village. Leaping over the walls and past the guards with the grace of a gymnast, he took off down the road in the direction of the airport.

* * *

Standing at the top a a tower, she looked into the distance. Although she could not see the Little Wolf, she could still feel his aura, green and bright against the void of the night. She undid the string holding her mask to her head. Long auburn hair spilled out into the wind. She closed her eyes, enjoying the cold wind and the solitude of the moment. For a moment, a faint trace of emotion crept into her features before it disappeared, back to the solid mask which she had worn for years now. Now she worked for the Circle, who saved her so many years ago. She had given up her name, her memories, her life to serve the silent mysterious circle of magicians who controlled the world of magic. All that was behind her now. To finish what she had to, she did not need any emotions to get in her way. Where her heart had been was a frozen void, cold and bitter like the winter chill. She had lost her heart sometime years ago. There was no point having a heart when all it did was cause her nothing but pain.

He was going to the Cherry Blossom, she was sure of it. Her orders had been to eliminate both of them, to make way for the Circle's plans. And she would do so, without hesitating. Donning on her mask again, she leapt of the building, her lithe form silhouetted in the dim moonlight. Time to return to Japan...

* * *

The three hour long flight felt like eternity to Syaoran as he stared out the window, willing the plane to go faster. Leaning back and allowing himself to relax, he remembered the last time he took a flight, just in the opposite direction. He never knew he could feel that kind of pain and emptiness as he did back then. Thinking it over again, his heart began pounding faster. All his unanswered questions were about to be answered, all the doubts he kept in his heart for the past three years.

Landing at Narita Airport, he checked out his luggage then paused to look around the airport. He walked past the same spot he had bid farewell to Sakura, three years ago. Closing his eyes, he remembered that last smile she gave him, her last smile that said everything that he needed to know back then. He smiled ruefully, telling himself again that they had both grown up. Stepping outside the airport, he was greeted by a blast of cold wind in his face which made him tear up and instinctively moved his hand to shield his face. _Great, its even colder here than in Hong Kong..._ Syaoran grumbled to himself, his dislike for the cold showing clearly. He never liked the cold, it made him feel miserable. _Wait....how the heck am I going to get to Tomoeda from here?? _He stopped, realizing to his horror that he had failed to account for this part of the trip. He had mailed the rest of his savings to his old apartment in Tomoeda but.... Frustrated, he grit his teeth and began rounding the airport for a way to get there...

* * *

Tomoyo put the phone down for the fifth time, puzzled. No matter how many times she called, she just couldn't get Syaoran. All she was told was that he was not available. All sorts of theories came into her head, making her wonder what could be holding the Chinese boy. Sighing inwardly, she dialed the number once again into her satellite phone... _Sakura deserves to know at least how you are Syaoran.. Al the very least, say you still remember her..._

_Beep.....Beep.....Beep..... Click....... "_He...hello?" a soft voice said into the phone. _A sister? Or a maid or servant? _Tomoyo thought to herself.

"Ah...yeah, can I speak to Syaoran please?" she asked politely, totally forgetting that not everyone spoke Japanese....

Surprisingly, whoever was on the other side understood her perfectly. But her reaction was totally unexpected to Tomoyo..

"Xi..Xiao...Lang??" her voice sounded like it was about to crack and Tomoyo was certain that she was about to burst into tears any moment..... "He...he's not here at the moment now I'm sorry...." _-sob- Click....._

Tomoyo stared at the phone, even more bewildered than before. Had she said something wrong?

* * *

On the other end, Li Fanren replaced the phone with tears in her eyes. _Xiao Lang....wherever you are.....come back safely.....or I will never ever forgive you...._

* * *

"Ehhh??!! You whattt??!!" Sakura looked up, almost choking on her bowl of noodles.

"Yeah, I did but I couldn't get him," Tomoyo sighed in disappointment. She was fingering her video camera, which she had brought out to dinner because she just had it repaired. "Ne Sakura-chan, you really think Syaoran still remembers you?"

"I...never said I thought...." she bit back her words, staring into her half eaten bowl of noodles. She had begun to wonder whether he really remembered her. When he left, she had gone to sleep staring at the teddy bear he had given her with tears in her eyes. Of course, she had gotten over it as time passed but still... She looked up at Tomoyo, who was busy videotaping her expression and she went slightly red. It had been a while since her friend had videotaped her for anything and she still felt slightly uncomfortable whenever she did that.

"I...hope he remembers me....though I'm not so sure he does," she replied finally, smiling ruefully, "We're not kids anymore Tomoyo-chan. I still wonder if he remembers..." she stopped herself, remembering that she hadn't told anyone about the airport incident...

"Giving you the teddy at the airport before he left...?" completed Tomoyo... _Silly Sakura, when will you figure out that you can't hide anything from me?_

"Ho-ee??!!" Sakura was rapidly turning red, "ho..how did you know about that?" she stared at Tomoyo in shock. Sometimes she wondered if her friend was just an ordinary teenage girl. She always seemed to know when something was going on and she ALWAYS managed to be nearby in her most private of moments.

"O ho ho....I wonder.... That was one of my most precious videos.... You want to see it someday Sakura-chan?" her eyes turned slightly starry as her friend sweatdropped across the table. Sakura leaned back, lost for words. _Tomoyo-chan.....you're....you're....scary......_

* * *

The car stopped near his apartment as Syaoran got out, bowing and thanking the kindly couple who agreed to drive him to Tomoeda. Setting his bag down, he stared at his old apartment, memory after memory flowing back. Walking slowly up, he flipped on the lights in his room, sniffing the scent that hadn't changed after so many years. Sakura had once insisted he buy that brand of air freshened and it clung to everything. He breathed in deeply, dropping his bags to the ground and opening his window to allow fresh air in.

_CRASHH!!!_ The sound of a window breaking could be heard from the floor above. Sliding open the glass doors to his balcony, Syaoran stepped out and looked up, puzzled. He immediately pulled his head back, a flash of black shooting past his head onto the ground three floors below....followed immediately by another, larger black flash. Stunned, Syaoran stared after the two similarly black clad teens running away down the road. The first one, a blond haired kid turned back and yelled...

"Sorrryyyyyy nneeeiigghhhbboooouurrrrrr!!!" before rushing off down the street laughing maniacally with the other guy hot on his heels, literally screaming curses towards the blond race.

Syaoran stepped back, wondering what that was all about. He decided to check it out later, after he unpacked his bags. Maybe he'd go take a walk, see how the city had changed while he was gone. The next day was a Saturday and he'd go see Sakura, if she was still around.

* * *

"Ne Tomoyo-chan...have you ever fallen in love before?" Sakura asked abruptly after dinner. The both of them were walking down the trail in the park, watching the last of the autumn leaves fall in the red glow of the setting sun. Tomoyo looked back at her quizzically. It wasn't like Sakura to ask these types of questions. However, her friend was staring into the sky, seeing something that only she could see and Tomoyo could pretty much guess what it was.

"Well.....not...I don't think I ever had...." Tomoyo replied, her eyes suddenly taking on a wistful look. Sakura looked at her for a moment, surprised to see the normally composed Tomoyo looking soo...regretful. But then the moment passed and she smiled again, although even Sakura could tell it was more of a forced smile. "Why do you ask, Sakura?"

"Ah...its nothing....." she stared out into the sky again, wishing again that Syaoran had never left her...

* * *

"Ahh...." Syaoran grumbled, dumping the last of his clothes into the closet. Mounting his practice sword on the wall, he put on a sweater and left the apartment, locking up behind him as he did. He strolled down the familiar streets, walking towards where he remembered King Penguin Park would be. Strolling down the rows of semi bare trees, he sniffed in the smell of autumn. The streets were mostly empty, most having gone home for dinner. _So much the better _he mused to himself _at least there's no one to see me and recognize me...._

* * *

From a distance, Touya and his best friend Yukito were walking back from work, having spent the day working at the nearby mall. As they rounded a corner, Touya's eyes narrowed. _Was that...?_ Yukito looked at him quizzically.

"Something wrong Touya?" he asked.

"Ah..nothing... I must be a little too tired. For a moment, I imagined I saw the Brat walking down the street as well." Touya replied, still not really convinced that his eyes had tricked him. However, it was impossible that the Brat was here after all these years so he shook the matter off.

"Ah Touya-kun...you should go back and relax...." Yukito poked him in the ribs, smiling tiredly. "What next, you going to tell me you saw a ninja after your sister? Seriously Touya, you're being a little too overprotective of Sakura. She's a big girl now you know."

"Hmmm....still...." he was silenced when Yukito laughed and dragged him down the opposite direction to the Kinomoto residence.

* * *

Syaoran was unaware of what had gone on behind him. He had rounded the corner an found himself in King Penguin Park. Slowing down his pace, he stared upwards at the clouds passing by, tinted in red. Here was where so many of their adventures had taken place, where so many of his memories were made. He walked down the path slowly, trying to imagine how she would look like after three years. Had she changed? No matter how he tried, he could only remember the short golden-brown hair and her emerald eyes. Closing his eyes, he choked back his emotions, telling himself to be calm. The slight breeze helped, blowing around him, taking with it his fears and concerns for the moment.

* * *

"Its getting late Tomoyo, I'd better go home before onii-chan gets home else...." she trailed off, knowing how her brother would react. Her house was in one direction while Tomoyo's was in the other so she waved goodbye and set off, jogging quickly down the path.

* * *

Staring at Sakura, a good way off, she strung her bow, pulling back the arrow expertly. Taking careful aim, she waited for the right moment, when the girl passed the trees....

* * *

Syaoran felt the presence in the air, the sour feeling that something was about to go wrong. His eyes flashed down the path, darting around to detect any danger. Someone was coming down the path but he couldn't see who. Whoever it was was behind a large clump of trees, hidden from view but was obviously not doing anything to conceal his or her presence.

* * *

From her angle, she couldn't see the boy standing at the other end of the path. Her fingers were now only holding to the tips of the arrow. Any moment now, Sakura would emerge and then...

* * *

Sakura jogged on, whistling happily, unaware of anything that was going on around her. The temperature of the air had dropped and she shivered slightly. The huge clump of trees to her left offered some protection from the wind however and she was glad she brought her sweater along.

* * *

Syaoran approached the trees slowly, arms in front of him in a cautious stance. His eyes widened slightly to make sure nothing was approaching him from either side. His senses were now fully open, searching for danger.

* * *

She suddenly felt the strong presence of the Li boy. But now it was too late to turn back. She would just have to finish off both of them here.

* * *

Sakura jogged around the clump of trees, eyes staring upwards into the sky. _What a beautiful day... Too bad Syaoran isn't around anymore......_ She emerged from the trees and everything happened at once.

* * *

_THERE! _A flash of light brown hair appeared around the trees. Breathing in, she released the arrow, which flew true to her target. Deftly, she pulled another out from the quiver, easing it into her bow.. _One down, one to go...._

* * *

Syaoran saw her first, her golden brown hair flowing in the wind. However, he barely had time to look at her when his warning senses came crashing in. Spying a glint at the corner of his eye, he dashed forward, plowing straight into Sakura....

* * *

"HOEE!!!" Sakura spotted a familiar mass of dark brown hair rushing at her.... Her mind screamed, _SYAORAN, _but the suddenness in which it all took place literally froze her. She was flung backwards, nearly smashing into the ground when her assailant twisted around, causing her to land on him instead of the ground.

* * *

_Crap!_ She couldn't see either of her targets, they were probably hidden behind the trees. Her eyes strained to pick out any movement in the failing light. _Come on out, I will make this quick and painless for you..._ she muttered softly through her teeth.

* * *

Sakura opened her eyes, which she had squeezed shut. She was sitting on something soft but in her dazed state, she had yet to figure out what had happened. For a few seconds, she sat there, trying to regain her senses before the 'thing' she was sitting on groaned. Yelping, she jumped off, spinning around so quickly that she fell to the ground again with a thud. Her 'attacker' was lying on the ground, trying to get up.

Sakura stared blankly at him, her heart either stopped or pounding too fast for her to notice. Familiar dark brown hair reflected the setting sun. A face glanced at her, an image from the past staring at her with slightly older and more mature features. But the same brown eyes stared out at her, squinting slightly in pain.

"Sya......Sya....Syaoran.....?" she reached out to touch him softly, afraid that it was all just an illusion. Her fingers brushed over his cheek, which indeed felt quite real. She withdrew her hand still staring at him, half in wonder and half afraid that she was dreaming.

Syaoran's heart leapt inside. _She remembered me!!!! _Calming down, he smiled ruefully at the one girl he though he would never see again....

"Hey Sakura.... This....wasn't how I planned to meet yu-_oof_" he was sent backwards as a pair of arms wrapped themselves around him and Sakura pushed him over, hugging him tightly. For a second, his eyes went wide, then closed slowly as he hesitatingly closed his arms around her. For what seemed like an eternity, they lay unmoving on the path, both unwilling to let go. Syaoran took in a deep breath, taking in her familiar scent which had embedded itself in his mind three years ago. _She still smells like cherry blossoms, just like her name...._

Sakura buried her face in his chest, tears welling in her eyes. All the emotions she had pent up over the last three years threatened to break out in a gushing torrent, like water out of a broken dam. Silently, she repeated his name over and over in her mind. _Syaoran.....Syaoran......Syaoran............_

"Hey," he whispered into her ear, "You're squeezing me to death and I think...." he winced with pain, his muscles contracting, instantly letting go of Sakura, who dropped backward with a dreamy look in her eyes. For the first time in three years, he got a good look at her. Her hair was slightly longer, no longer with the two ponytails sticking out of the sides. Her face looked slightly older, she was in junior high now, no longer a kid but a teenager. Her body features.... Syaoran blushed and averted his eyes momentarily before returning his gaze on her face. Her eyes, her deep emerald green eyes were still the same, ever making him feel weak inside, ever telling his her favorite phrase over and over again.... 'it will be alright..' Now, they were glassy, tear filled. For once, her was lost for words, not knowing what to say to the girl he had left behind three years ago...

Sakura stared at Syaoran, not wanting to take her gaze off him in case he slipped away and disappeared forever...again... back then she had been so afraid of losing him, so afraid that he'd go away, so afraid that she'd wake up one morning and never see him again. And it had happened. Now he was sitting right in front of her and there was no way she was going to let him go away. She noticed him wince in pain again and concern overtook her. Noticing a small trail of blood running down his arm, she traced in back to a long cut on his left shoulder.

Noticing the wound for the first time, Syaoran was about to put his hand over it when a soft hand held his and pulled it away from the wound. He winced, remembering the arrow slicing through his skin.

"Lean back," she whispered, watching as he did what she said. Taking out a clean handkerchief, she dabbed at the wound. "Now hold it there and bandage up the wound when you get back." she sat back, staring at him again.

"Syaoran....I have so many things I wanna ask you...." she broke off, then continued with a small smile, "But.....I'm soo happy you're here...soo happy...." her eyes shut momentarily then opened again, a wide smile across her face now.

Syaoran held the handkerchief tightly to his arm, tears coming to his eyes for the first time in a long while. He smiled back, whispering in a voice so low that she could barely hear him, "I'm glad you still remember me, Sakura...."

* * *

The sun had set, the little remaining light casting shadows at odd angles. Those two were taking too long, maybe they had escaped. Gritting her teeth, she relaxed her grip on the bow and returned the arrow to the quiver. She'll find out tomorrow whether she had succeeded today. There was still plenty of time for her to complete her mission. Slinging the bow over her, she jumped into the semi darkness, melting instantly into the shadows.

* * *

"Ahh....so the entire party is here...." a familiar voice, dripping with sarcasm came out of the shadows. "My, aren't shouldn't you guys take it somewhere else? The park isn't exactly the perfect place to make out you know..."

Syaoran stiffened, recognizing the voice instantly. Only one person had that amount of sarcasm and that was....

"Eriol-kun!" Sakura exclaimed, seeing the magician appear from the shadows, followed by his guardians. Behind him, tittering to herself softly came....

"Hoe! Tomoyo-chan, you too?" stammered Sakura, going red. Just how many people had seen her and Syaoran?

"Ahehe Sakura, I was coming back to hand you this," she held up Sakura's wallet, "You dropped it higher up the path but I didn't expect to see you doing...." she trailed off, smiling widely at the two.

"Ehhhh...." two voices, one deeper and the other higher and smoother, stammered out at once, earning a squeal of delight from Tomoyo who had her video camera up and filming and a smirk from Eriol, who was just standing there watching the scene.

"So, now that we're all here.." Eriol finally voiced out, "We can get to business. I'll keep this short so I don't expect anything...funny to happen." he threw a knowing glance at Sakura and Syaoran who were both turning a similar shade of red, much to Tomoyo's delight. Finally, something worth filming again!

Syaoran sighed to himself, smiling wryly. Some things...just never changed....

* * *

A/N SYAORAN'S BACK, SYAORAN'S BACK WEE!!!! =D -bad feeling I overdid this a little- ^^''


End file.
